Ludlow Man Injured, Sheltie Killed In Pit Bull Attack

LUDLOW (CBS) – A Ludlow man is mourning the loss of his beloved sheltie after being attacked by a pit bull.

Robert Laverty, 83, says he was sitting on the seawall at Wollaston Beach in Quincy when he was passed by two men, one on a bike with a pit bull in tow.

“They came by on the bicycle almost dragging the dog,” Laverty tells WBZ-TV. Barley, an 11-year-old sheltie was at Laverty’s feet when the pit bull suddenly attacked. “All of a sudden that dog charged, the leash was too long. It just grabbed Barley’s neck, seconds.”

Within seconds Laverty was trying to save the life of his longtime companion. “I got down on my knees and I hit the dog several times. Then I got my fingers trying to open the dog’s mouth.”

There are scratches on Laverty’s arm from scraping the pavement in his desperate attempt. “It didn’t last two minutes, Barley was gone,” he says.

He says he never exchanged words with the dog’s owner, but Quincy police say the pit bull is not registered in the city and is now being held by animal control while the case is investigated. The owner will face civil penalties.

Laverty was visiting a friend with his dog with whom he often traveled. It was a somber ride to bring his pet home for burial. “You can see how I feel today, it’s my baby, we’ve been together a long, long time.”

It’s unclear if the owner will be charged in this case, but Laverty says he plans to meet with Quincy police in the coming days.

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Emmy award-winning Beth Germano is a general assignment reporter for WBZ-TV News. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Germano has been a New England-based reporter for more than 15 years. She joined WBZ-TV as a freelanc...